Games boss backs in Victoria Park stadium

A new stadium at Victoria Park has received the backing of the man entrusted to lead the delivery of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

After veiled criticism of the former Miles government’s plan to redevelop the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre as Brisbane’s main Olympic stadium, the previously venue-agnostic Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris gave Victoria Park his tick of approval overnight.

“So the engineer that you’re talking to looks at not just a location with respect to how pretty and beautiful it is, which of course would fit Victoria Park, but accessibility, transportation and cost delivery of the supply chains,” Liveris told a News Corp/Nova podcast.

Andrew Liveris, president of the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, has backed the Victoria Park proposal.Credit: Getty Images

“Access points matter, especially with the Olympics. Where do the athletes come in? Where do the food and beverage come in? Where do the VIPs come in? All of that needs to be solved for economically.

“If a stadium like that appears at Victoria Park, that fits the future of cricket and [Australian rules] football perfectly, and has private sector funding that gives it a return model like Optus Stadium out in Perth, then of course [I] would say ‘wow, what a great answer for the Olympics’.”

Liveris said private investment would be key to delivering the project within the state and federal governments’ $7.1 billion funding envelope.

“If you don’t want to increase the allocation from federal or state government, which neither government does want to do, then the private partnership model comes into play,” he said.

“Here’s the good news – there are people all over the world that do this for a living. There are people in Australia that do this for a living. There are people interested in doing it and so, frankly, if that gets into the review – which I believe it will, I hope it does – as a result, you may end up then with an affordable, very taxpayer-friendly answer.”

The Crisafulli government started its promised 100-day Olympic infrastructure review last Friday. Its terms of reference allow new venues, such as Victoria Park, to be considered, despite the LNP’s pre-election pledge not to build a new stadium.

Save Victoria Park community group spokeswoman Sue Bremner said she was “aghast” that Liveris would break from his public neutrality just as the review was starting.

“It’s like a magistrate or a judge talking about something that the jury should say,” she said.

“You can’t get a comment at the moment out of any of the state politicians, because they’re saying ‘we’ve set up the 100-day review and we need to stand back and let the review take its course’.

“Somebody in Mr Liveris’ position should be doing likewise – he should not be commenting on decisions that are going to be made through a well-publicised process.”

As for whether the LNP government would adopt all the board’s recommendations, Olympic and Paralympic Minister Tim Mander said that would ultimately be a matter for Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who had oversight of Games venues.

But he suggested the panel’s findings would be difficult to ignore.

“You don’t appoint experts in an area if you’re not going to listen to them,” he said yesterday.

The Victoria Park proposal has been divisive, with significant support among Brisbane’s business and sporting communities, but fierce opposition from local residents and politicians from across the political spectrum – from former LNP premier and lord mayor Campbell Newman to the Greens.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.